


Business as Usual

by Not_You



Series: It's Weird When Shaw Is Nice [5]
Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Anya is a helper, Multi, assassination attempt, erik is a badass, secret rooms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-26
Updated: 2012-11-26
Packaged: 2017-11-19 15:13:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/574678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Not_You/pseuds/Not_You
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which someone finally gets around to trying to kill Charles properly.  Fortunately, there's a protocol for these things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Business as Usual

Charles doesn't notice the tension at first. He's too busy healing up. He and David sleep all day and most of the night too, waking up for an hour at a time to eat and to use the chamberpot because it's no use trying to leave the room. The pain isn't so very bad and the physicians say he's knitting well, but everything in his body realizes that his hips are shattered and he is very thick and drowsy, staying still and not hurting himself. He has plenty of diversion. Every moment he's awake there is David to explore, this tiny, beautiful little thing. Even the streaks on his face are beautiful, unnatural blue swirling onto his upper cheekbones.

"It's all right that you're mad," Charles whispers, cuddling him. "We love you anyway."

Sometimes he wakes up to Anya, very quiet and solemn as she watches the baby sleep, only to grin just like her mother when Charles wakes up and sees her. All in all, it takes Charles a long time to notice the increased guard and the sacrificial creatures and all the other precautions. There are two kinds of creatures involved: birds sacrificed to the gods for Charles's health and well-being, and the rodents who taste his food for him. Not exactly rats, they're very similar to humans on the inside, and of course show symptoms at far lower concentrations of poison. He realizes they're being used at all when lunch is late and Erik brings it himself, looking grim. After that he becomes more alert, and is sitting up awake when there's a scuffle in the corridor outside in the dead of night. It's not very loud or very long, though, and the shape that prowls into the room afterward is Azazel.

"Are you all right, my lady?"

"Yes," Charles squeaks.

Azazel bows, and settles himself beside the bed for the rest of the night. He becomes a fixture in Charles's life, and a month later when Sebastian has been dragged away on business, Charles wakes in the night and knows that Azazel's absence means nothing good. He settles himself with the knife Erik gave him, jumping when the man himself bursts in. He's fully dressed and carrying a pair of the dreadful sickles so many northern warriors use, ushering Anya in ahead of them. It all happens very fast after that. Being a lord's daughter, Anya has been coached on the secret passages and how to use them. Erik shows her how to hold David and tells her to be brave, kissing them both and sending them off. Charles has to halt along on two sticks, but Anya stays with him. She looks so fierce and resolute that Charles has to smile, even as he does his best not to panic. She leads him down twisting passages to a deep underground lair, furnished in the style of two hundred years ago. Once she's sure he's comfortable, she snuggles up beside him while David nurses and tells him about the old Lord Shaws and all the people they've hidden down here over the generations. Mistresses from wives, children from jealous stepmothers, and whole families from overly ambitious neighbors. Just a child, she doesn't quite understand all of these motivations, but she does hug Charles and promise to fight the assassins if they get in here.

The assassins do not get in. Charles and Anya eventually sleep again in a cozy heap, some of the sanctum's stores of crystallized fruit and nuts depleted. They wake to distant singing. Charles can't make out the words, but Anya knows the tune and they both know Erik's voice. Soon enough the door opens again and Erik comes in, smiling softly.

"All well?" He murmurs as Anya throws herself at him silently because David is still asleep.

Charles smiles, cuddling the baby close. "All but the last foot of this nightgown, anyway."

"Pfah, you never liked the embroidery anyway." It's true, the birds and flowers now marching around David's waist have always struck Charles as overdone and ugly, and he lets out a hysterical little giggle, free hand over his mouth. "Well. It's safe to come out again, love." This said, he gathers Charles up into his arms and lets Anya drag the sticks along behind them as they make their way back up to their rooms. Erik is very calm about the attempt on everyone's lives last night, and details the composition of the assassination party and its strategy. "It was fairly amateurish, which probably means they were from our ancestral foes to the south, bless their inbred little hearts."

"Should we worry about more?" He nuzzles Erik's shoulder, surprised at how genuinely safe he feels in his senior consort's arms.

"Mm, not for a while. They only have the resources to do this once every few years. Sort of a treat for the miserable creatures."

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment with questions and opinions so I know what to put in the next part. XD


End file.
